1. Field
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for efficiently isolating nucleic acids.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods of isolating nucleic acids are known in the art. For example, commercially available apparatuses for isolating nucleic acids include apparatuses using magnetic beads and apparatuses using filter columns. The apparatuses isolate nucleic acids in amounts ranging from several to tens of micrograms (μg), and the concentration of nucleic acids to be extracted is in the range of several to tens of nanograms per microliter (ng/μl). Molecular diagnostic methods, which utilize nucleic acids, require a high concentration of nucleic acids, i.e., hundreds of ng/μl or greater, however, it is difficult to obtain an eluent containing a sufficiently high concentration of nucleic acid from such apparatuses.
In order to obtain a high concentration of nucleic acids, the volume of eluent ranges from several to tens of microliters (μl). However, in apparatuses for isolating nucleic acids that utilize magnetic beads, when the magnetic beads are collected using a magnetic field in a nucleic acid isolation process, the magnetic beads are collected along with the eluent in which the magnetic beads are dispersed. Thus, it is difficult to collect the eluent, resulting in poor elution efficiency. In apparatuses for isolating nucleic acids that utilize filter columns, nucleic acids are bound to the entire surface area of a filter in a column. As a result, during the elution process, it is difficult to elute all of the bound nucleic acids using only a small amount of an eluent. Accordingly, it is difficult to elute a high concentration of nucleic acids.
Therefore, there is still a need for a method and apparatus for more efficiently isolating nucleic acids.